The present invention relates to a method and apparatus by which a person can learn a given body motion and be able to consistently repeat that same motion.
Certain physical activities (especially, but not only, athletic activities) involve performing specific body motions which ideally must be repeated consistently. Some examples of a specific body motion are, without limitation, swinging a golf club, swinging a baseball bat, shooting a basketball, walking, and signing one""s name.
Conventional methods for developing a specific body motion are typically xe2x80x9cnegativexe2x80x9d in the sense of being addressed to teaching a person not to do certain xe2x80x9cwrongxe2x80x9d things in an attempt to arrive at doing the xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d thing or things. Such conventional methods include devices which physically restrain a person from moving outside of a target envelope of motion, as well as teaching methods which concentrate on eliminating the aforementioned xe2x80x9cwrongxe2x80x9d things, rather than concentrating on doing the xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d things.
In addition, most teaching methods are directed to a person""s conscious mind. The results are almost inevitably poor, because the person becomes preoccupied with making a plethora of biomechanical adjustments in body control and timing. As a result, an attempt to recreate a certain body motion suffers because the person tends to overthink.
In contrast to conventional methods, the present invention is directed to teaching a specific body motion with greater attention to the subconscious, rather than conscious, mind. Therefore, a person trying to learn a given body motion is not preoccupied with various aspects of body control and timing, so that repeated and consistent performance of the desired body motion is facilitated.
In general, the present invention compares a person""s actual body motion to a target version of the body motion, and provides a sensible feedback to the person that is proportional to a correspondence between the actual body motion and the target body motion.
The feedback may be in any sensible form according to the present invention, but is importantly of a nature that reflects an approach to a target level of performance, rather than reflecting an incorrect technique. Accordingly, the person trying to learn the motion is encouraged to reach a goal, rather than being negatively reinforced. It is particularly desirable to make the feedback audible, but other forms of feedback are contemplated.
According to the present invention, at least one parameter of motion is detected in order to quantify the actual body motion. For example, local acceleration is measured at at least one point on the body, such as, without limitation, one or both shoulders, one or both wrists, one or both knees, the head, left and/or right sides of the hips, and one or both ankles.
Measured parameters of motion may include, without limitation, local acceleration, time duration of motion, angular rate of motion, and spatial extent of motion, using suitable known measuring devices (which are preferably small enough to be comfortably worn on a user""s person).
The parameter(s) of motion representing the target body motion (against which the actual body motion is compared) correspond to the motion of, for example, a golf professional in the case of swinging a golf club, a professional baseball player in the case of swinging a baseball club, a basketball player in the case of shooting a basketball, etc. That is, the parameter(s) representing the target body motion are that of a xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d example. Of course, if the present invention is used to simply improve the basic physical skills of, for example, a physically impaired person, the motion of any physically unimpaired person may be emulated to teach, for example, the motion for signing one""s name.
An apparatus according to the present invention includes at least one sensor adapted to be placed on a desired part of the body (e.g., the shoulders). A memory stores information corresponding to the target body motion. A microprocessor compares the measured parameter(s) associated with the actual body motion, with corresponding parameter(s) associated with the target body motion. The apparatus also includes a feedback mechanism that operates to provide a sensible feedback that is proportional to a degree of correspondence between the actual body motion and the target body motion. It is preferable, but not required, to provide wireless communication between the at least one sensor, microprocessor, and/or feedback mechanism in order to make the apparatus less cumbersome to the user.